Using wireless mesh networking to connect devices to each other, and to cloud-based services, is increasingly popular for sensing environmental conditions, controlling equipment, and providing information and alerts to users. A mesh network device may have a number of capabilities that an application may want to access, such as receiving sensor data or controlling an actuator. Addressing in mesh networks is typically done at the device or node level. Addressing an individual capability within a mesh network device increases the amount of addressing payload in mesh network packets in order to specify an address for the capability and the node. However many devices on mesh networks are designed to operate for extended periods of time on battery power, which limits the available computing, user interface, and radio resources in the devices. Increasing the size of addresses, to address the node and a capability, in turn leads to transmitting larger packets over the mesh network, which increases power consumption and reduces network capacity.
Many applications are structured to send requests for data in order to receive a response that includes the requested data. Sending periodic requests for sensor data from an application, on one mesh network device to another mesh network device, increases overall network traffic as both requests and responses are transmitted over the mesh network. Network addressing techniques limit the efficiency and flexibility of accessing information and controls while maintaining power efficiency and secure communications over mesh networks.